This invention relates to excavating buckets.
Excavating buckets, such as those used on apparatus commonly known as a backhoe, are usually pivotally attached to a movable dipperstick, with separate actuators arranged to power bucket pivoting and dipperstick movements, respectively. Such buckets often have teeth-like protrusions along a leading edge which loosen and scoop material as the bucket moves through the substrate to be excavated; and may also include a row of ripper teeth attached to the rear of the bucket (i.e., on the side opposite the leading edge) generally parallel to the leading edge and perpendicular to the direction of the motion of the bucket for dislodging and breaking up tightly compacted substrate. Such ripper teeth are usually arranged to operate with the bucket actuator fixed in a fully extended position, and the ripping motion is powered by the dipperstick actuator.
Such ripper teeth have not been entirely satisfactory. They often penetrate too deeply and tend to "stall out" the dipperstick cylinder. Additionally, the material loosened has a tendency to jam the motion of the bucket and cause it to ride over the material and thus reduce ripping penetration; and efficiency of operation is hindered by the need constantly to reposition the bucket to maintain the proper ripper tooth cutting angle.
It is an object of the present invention to maximize ripping effectiveness while at the same time overcoming the above limitations.